Yellow, it was always such a bombastic color. So loud and in your face. Elise was never fond of yellow. She hated it even more in this game, the only color she hated more was red. Yellow was a bad omen of the things to come, the way your life was quantified in ones and zeros of the sadistic creator. She often wondered if the creator now knew how God felt. He was the puppeteer of a great theater, pulling strings and making people abide by his rules and bidding. In essence, he is a God. A creator of worlds and the virtual bodies they now possessed. As she turned to face her final opponent, Elise wondered if the creator of this world was watching this particular fight, if he even payed attention to individual players. Did he even feel the slightest bit invested in the people trapped here? All she knew, was that she was in the yellow.

Krissu’s voice broke Elise’s battle focus and now long abstract thoughts. She couldn’t quite make out what Krissu had said, the only thing that made it through were the words “Help!”

Elise turned to find her companion. She had to help her, she had promised to keep her safe. Did she kill the Goblin already and stumble on to something worse? It shouldn’t have given her too much of a hassle. It took her a split second to see that the Goblin was in fact very much alive and at this rate, more so than Krissu was going to be. Elise flashed her vision to see Krissu’s health bar in her peripheral. She had moved far past the bad omen stage and right into the be prepared to meet the creator phase.

Again Elise’s diversion of attention led to the other Goblin having a choice opportunity. Another blow of the pickaxe chipped away at her own health. She had to help Krissu, she just wasn’t sure how. The unthinkable happened. A shadow emerged from their shared passageway, the one that just Krissu and her had been sharing for all this time. A shadow much larger than either of them could have made. This shadow was a salvation. With one quick stroke, the Goblin’s head had been removed and it’s body dissipated in a burst of light. Whoever it was, they didn’t mean them any harm at least.

Elise didn’t see what happened after that, she turned her attention back to her own assailant and drove her sword through it with satisfactory vigor. It too erupted in shards of data.

Congratulations!
Level up!
11->12

Elise didn’t care about her increase in level. She ran over to where Krissu had fallen, the shadow revealing itself to be a man. His form was stocky, broad shoulders and a build that dwarfed her in comparison. He was kneeling next to Krissu and had shoved a potion into her mouth. He had done what she couldn’t. This was all her fault, she had kicked that Goblin towards Krissu, she had promised to tag along and make sure she was safe. She hardly even knew the girl, but she had almost cost Krissu her life.

Elise wore an impenetrable facade, her face steely and not letting on to the turmoil that was bubbling beneath the surface. It was odd, she was thankful for the newcomer and his saving Krissu, but she was also the slightest bit upset for him doing her job. Her look at the man was probably more of a glare than she had intended, her look of appraisal was often intense and hard to read.

“Uh...thanks,” Elise said to man as she sat down on her knees next to Krissu, her attention going back to the other girl. “Krissu, you ok?”